People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India
(Marxist)

Vol. XXXV

No.
34

August
21,
2011

FLASHBACK- AUG 9 SOUTH AFRICA

The
Other
Women’s Day, A Reminder

Bratati Pande

THE Women’s Day in South Africa
is
celebrated on August 9 every year though world over it is celebrated on
March
8. In 1994, the day was declared as women’s day and a national holiday
to commemorate
the day in 1956 when thousands of women walked on the streets in
protest
against a draconian “Pass” law in the Apartheid era. Under this law the
black
Africans were required to carry a pass which restricted their freedom
of movement
severely. The new amendment was trying to impose more restrictions on
movement
by extending it to women as well.

In a huge
procession
women walked the path of Pretoria
and placed bundles of petitions signed by thousands of their
compatriots at the
door of the then prime minister J G Strijdom’s office. They were all
singing a
song of protest “now you have touched the women, you have struck a
rock! You
will be crushed! ”This song became the anthem of protest, a symbol of
courage
and perseverance of women in SA. The participants were wearing
traditional
dresses and some of them were donning colours of African National
Congress - green,
black and gold.

Many were carrying their
children on
their backs. Those who worked as ‘nannies’ in White homes were carrying
their
wards. The atmosphere was electrifying! They were not scared of being
arrested.
In any case how could the jails accommodate such a huge number? Many
participants still remember the day vividly. The march was a big
success. And
what is most remarkable – no one was arrested!

The petition
left with
the prime minister described how the Pass laws have brought untold
suffering to
each South African family and deprived people to live a normal family
life as
every year innumerable people were thrown into jails for breaking the
law, the
women have seen their men suffering punishment and even torture not for
any
crime but for not having the pass! If it is now extended to women as
well the
family life would be totally destroyed! The march got such huge support
from
all sections of the public that the government did not resort to
arrests
immediately. The petition concluded with a warning to the prime
minister, “African
women would not rest until all Pass laws and all forms of permits
restricting
our freedom are abolished. We shall not rest unless we have won for our
children their fundamental rights of freedom, justice and security!’

The protest
got momentum
over time and in a march in 1960, the protestors, both men and women ,
faced
the police boldly announcing that they were not carrying any pass . The
huge
protest march unnerved the police and there was shooting on the
procession
killing 69 people.

Despite adverse public
opinion world
over, the regime banned both ANC and PAC and the leaders were thrown
into
jails. That, of course, could not kill the spirit of the movement and
second
rung leaders came forward to give the leadership. A number of women
leaders
played heroic roles in the movement, Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima
Moosa
and Sophy Williams were prominent among them. Obviously the leaders
were
detained. Women’s movement got a temporary jolt but the movement
continued on a
slow pace. Some women leaders went on exile. Relentless struggle
of all
South Africans, men and women ultimately got them freedom from
apartheid under
the leadership of Nelson Mandela after long years of repression and
torture but
democracy can fruitfully survive only when people remember the price
they had
to pay for it! The first huge organised protest by women sowed the seed
for the
united struggle for freedom. The significance of the Day is different
today –it
is to reaffirm the faith in unity and carry forward the march towards
real
equality in the society both amongst races and genders. It is still a
long way
to go – the fight against Apartheid is formally over but equality is
still a
far cry! But remember that South Africa is still very
young on its democratic
path; democracy is only 17 years old! A beginning towards real equality
has
started and the determined people of South Africa will not stop
short of
a new era of equality, justice and freedom which were the key words in
the
fight against Apartheid.